I slam the apartment door shut.I'm still shaking. I can barely hold my keys. They keep slipping from my sweaty hands and they won't stop jingling. It's like my head is filled with cotton candy. I can't quite believe that I'm alive, that I managed to convince Damien Keller that I'm not a spy.I fish my phone out of my bag and throw my bag across the room. With trembling fingers, I dial Devon's number. I pray to God that he answers this time, because if he doesn't I'll have a panic attack. The phone rings and rings, every ring feels like it's an hour long.He answers on the last ring. "Amelia, listen. I can't really talk right now—""He found out," I interrupt.Devon is quiet for a long time. We're both breathing heavily on each end of the line. He says, "Keller found out about you?""Almost," I admit. "He had cameras. He saw me shove the fucking envelope under the door. He interrogated me and I just panicked.""Fuck," he mutters beneath his breath. "What happened after? What did he sa
"You came," he says.I was right. He is surprised that I'm here. Not taking Devon's advice was the best decision I made. "Of course. I told you I had nothing to hide. I told you the whole unfiltered truth. I'm here to stay."He stands from his high desk chair and the leather creaks. "For a moment I thought that perhaps you would be lying.""No," I say and attempt to make my voice sound breathless. Just for the effect. "I would never lie to you."He stops a few spaces ahead of me and we watch each other. He appears to be much calmer today, yet I'm still filled to the brim with apprehension. To break the tense silence, I ask, "What was the task?""This. I had my doubts about your intentions, but I've had the entire night to think everything through." He turns his back to me. "I didn't think you'd come, Yara, but clearly I was mistaken."I nod. This is exactly what I wanted to hear. I'm out of danger. My shoulders sag with relief. "So what happens now? What will you do about it?"He turn
Devon sits at the bar and orders a drink.The bartender has never seen him before, so he gives him a funny look. A small bar like this, he must know every single person that comes in here. He hopes to hell that Bernard was right about this. He came a long way and he isn't going back without getting this done. He even tore a few stitches earlier. He makes a mental note to go to the clinic as soon as he's done with this.He takes the photo from the inside of his coat and slides it across the table. The bartender looks at him funny, but leans over to take a good look at the photo. "You know this woman?"He snaps his gaze back to Devon's. "Depends. Who's asking?""The CIA, the FBI, Interpol, what does it matter? Just answer the fucking question." He knows that the mention of these normally scares people. No one wants to get involved with the law.He puts both his hands in the air. It's almost as if Devon showed him a badge and told him to. "I don't want any trouble, man. I'm just doing my
He parks his car in the parking lot of a large, nondescript building.For the entirety of the drive, he didn't say a word to me. I oscillate between assuring myself that everything is fine and then convincing myself that I'm in deep shit. Why would he ask me to go with him alone? Without any explanation? This spells trouble. If he had good intentions, wouldn't he make them known? I don't know. Right now, I don't have a clue of what's coming next.There are a lot of cars here, by a lot I mean hundreds. The fact that it's a public place is what puts my mind at ease. I amble behind him, until we get to a white metal door. He knocks and there's the sound of metal grinding against metal. The door opens a crack. "Name?""Damien Keller."The door opens wider. "Are you accompanied, sir?""Yes, by my secretary. Yara Huxley.""Step inside, please."As soon as we step in, I hear music. Fast-paced, the kind you'd find in clubs. The floor is literally vibrating. The man who opened the door shakes
She moved away from him back there, when he was reaching for the bottle. Imperceptibly, but he caught it. It was clear that she was uncomfortable because of how close they were, which makes Damien wonder if what she said the previous day had any truth in it. She never seems to make an effort to be closer to him, to touch him in any way. In fact, she looked scared. He's had countless women in the past, and all of them that were attracted to him acted that way.He wonders if Yara Huxley is a liar for the hundredth time today.He's torn between believing and not believing her. She's a walking contradiction. She's outspoken, yet she's shy. She seems confident, but she has her moments of self-doubt that are quite evident. She appears weak minded, but has endured a handful of awful experiences in a matter of weeks. Not everyone reacts well to having a gun pointed at them. Yet, she's oddly fearless. He saw it in her eyes when he had his gun pointed at her. There was no fear there, but there
Turquoise.It's all I see at first when I first open my eyes. My heart's beating uncontrollably. I climb out of bed and rush to the bathroom. I think of splashing water in my face, but I change my mind and take a cold shower instead. Last night's events affected me more than I expected. Damien truly wasn't himself. Almost as if someone—or something—took over his body. The alcohol played a role, of course. I can't stop thinking about what happened. I turned and twisted in bed before I fell asleep just processing everything, hence the dream. I haven't had a dream like that in a long time, since high school I think. When I close my eyes, I can still feel his lips on mine. The fact that my entire being is up in flames is the most degrading part for me. I'm too old for this. I can't believe that my subconscious would trick me like this. The cold shower helped.I turn the tap off and pad into the bedroom. I wrap my towel around my body and dry myself quickly. It's still early, but I want
Damien walks past her table at 8 a.m. sharp.She isn't in, which he finds strange. He woke up late this morning; a rare occasion. The woman he slept with last night was still lying on top of him. For a second, he didn't know where he was, but slowly, last night's events returned to him.What was he thinking?He rarely regrets a decision but he allowed himself to act recklessly. To go to a known place like Ned's with his secretary is asking for trouble. In his inebriated state, he didn't mind. He thought it would be good for Elizabeth to find out.The only problem is that Elizabeth shouldn't know about any of this. Not now, when she believes that everything is perfect between them. She has no idea that he knows, and neither does Ethan. Yesterday, when they were both in his office, he tried his best to remain calm and act naturally. Elizabeth didn't suspect a thing, and he's hoping that Ethan didn't either. Because if he did, Damien won't be able to keep this hidden for long.And that i
I walk past the security guard and murmur a greeting. Is it weird that every time I walk past him, I expect him to grab me? Once I'm in the lobby, I hold my breath.Now that I'm here, my courage is trickling out of me. I don't know if I'll be able to ask him up-front why he defied Eduardo Pascual for me, but I'll see when I get there.I knock on the door, but there's only silence on the other side of the door. Is he not in yet? That's impossible. He's the first person arriving and last person leaving. I have no idea of what I'm going to say to him, if I should apologize for being late or getting straight to the point. The situation is slipping from my hands; I've lost complete control. I don't have much time left to figure this out, but I couldn't be farther away from discovering the name. I never thought it would get so complicated. Devon admitted to sugarcoating, but I have faith that before time runs out, I'll give him what he wants.Ethan opens the door, and I'm surprised to see h